The present invention relates generally to decorative picture and mirror frames and, more particularly, to decorative frames involving the application of decorative objects.
Interior decoration for new designs and improvements to existing designs for homes and businesses is a strong and growing industry. As new designs and retrofits are created, the desire for customization in the industry is increasing. Individual home and business owners are striving to achieve unique designs for their applications, and are attempting to do so in a relatively cost-effective manner. In addition, many individuals are taking on the challenge of designing and decorating their own structures, rather than relying on professionals. These xe2x80x9cdo-it-yourselfxe2x80x9d individuals are looking for design improvements they can make and perform themselves without having to hire an expert.
Traditionally, typical applications for interior designs have been forced to rely upon standard commercially available components and designs for designing anew or retrofitting existing interior layouts. One of the reasons for this reliance upon standards stems from the push in manufacturing industries for high volume, low cost components, such as cabinets, trim, valances, doors, door frames, and other fixtures. Another reason for reliance upon a standard or a limited number of standards is the desire to maintain standard sizes and arrangements for the interchangeability of components, which also helps to keep costs low.
Although the use of standard components is generally cost efficient, it is not conducive to the customization of interior designs with colors, shapes, styles, and other design features. In addition, non-standard or custom-built components tend to be high in price, and therefore not feasible for use in many of today""s applications. The overall lack of availability and affordability of components for interior design has been a hindrance to customization of interior designs.
The present invention is exemplified in a number of implementations and applications, some of which are summarized below. According to an example embodiment, the present invention is directed to an extruded decorative frame member adaptable for mounting decorative objects to the frame. The frame member comprises a front side having a substantially planar region and a retaining flange at each opposing edge of the substantially planar region. The front side is configured and arranged to accept and couple to decorative articles. The frame member further comprises a back side and a first channel configured and arranged to provide mounting support and to provide restraint in two dimensions relative to the front side.
In another example embodiment, a decorative frame assembly kit is provided. The kit includes a plurality of extruded frame members having a front side and a back side. The front side has a substantially planar region with retaining flanges at each opposing edge. The back side has a channel that provides restraint in two directions. Decorative tiles may be applied to the substantially planar region of the front side. Fasteners are provided for coupling the plurality of extruded frame members together via the channel. An apparatus is also provided for mounting at least one framing article to a frame member.
The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and detailed description which follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.